This film is far more mature than other Miyazaki works.
There are no cute spirits or anthropomorphic animals in any scene. The film has multiple haunting images of fire, plane crashes, illness, and death. Much of the exaggerated imagery that would be expected from the bouncy cat-bus fantasy is more toned down for the realistic designs of the aircraft. The dreams, which had the potential to be absurdly colorful and wacky, are incredibly tame by Miyazaki standards.
The film is…
Honestly, for a Shakespeare movie, this one is pretty good. I watched a lot of them in school (Othello, Romeo + Juliet) but, somehow, this one stood out from the rest.
Many things were good about this movie - the acting, setting, cinematography, and the fights - but, of course, being Shakespeare, the dialogue was intellectually confusing.
Back to the positives. The acting is really good, seeing some actors bring out the best of them. The battles are solid, it's…
The problem isn't necessarily that it is 3d animation because that would be stupid - I actually think the character designs are okay. The scenery and "sets", however, look much worse than other Ghibli films just due to the realistic tinge that seemingly plagues each one of them. The main problem is when it comes to the story and creativity which, coming from a studio known for being meticulous and wonderfully imaginative through the embrace of childlike wonder, comes off…
Why is this on here? Nonetheless, it is great. It balances the unique storytelling methods and musicality that I am not qualified enough to truly appreciate. Watched this maybe 3 times too many.
